Over the years, any different manufacturers produced elaborate "flying" toys to capture the imagination of children. These toys come in a huge variety of styles, but the general design concept includes an aircraft of some type, usually suspended on a metal arm with a counterweight, that when powered would fly in a circle around a central tower or pylon.

The design has obviously been around a very long time. The earliest versions of these toys featured zeppelins or airplanes and were powered by clockwork motors - think the famous Louis Marx Sky Bird Flyer. But the Sky Bird toy was not the first by any measure. I'm no expert, but it seems that European manufacturers, particularly in France and Germany, led the way. There are a number very early Bleriot-style flying planes of this category.

Naturally, as technology progressed, the helicopter staked out it's own territory. And, as with other aircraft toys of this type, clockwork mechanisms soon were replaced by more powerful battery-operated motors.

I absolutely LOVE these toys and figure it's high-time they receive a place in MAC history. Here we go:

Here's one of my favorites: the Bedico Electric Helicopter made in Western Germany.

This is a REALLY big toy. The Sikorsky S-55 (H-19 Chickasaw) helicopter is beautifully depicted and measures about 12 inches long and 4 inches high. It comes in a "Pan American World Airways" livery, a departure from the Sabena livery that is featured on most West German toys.

The control console is huge. I don't have it front of me, but it's about 2 feet high. The toy is so large, a separate diorama-like airfield with terminal building had to be sold separately.